The exemplary embodiments of this invention relate generally to solar cell technology and, more particularly, to the monolithic integration of solar cells into flexible substrates.
Solar cell technology involves the generation of electrical power by converting solar radiation in the form of photon energy into direct current (DC) electricity. The conversion of solar radiation into electricity employs solar cells (also known as photovoltaic cells) that contain semiconductor materials. The solar cells are arranged and packaged to form a solar panel, which can be used alone or in conjunction with other solar panels to define a system that generates the electricity.
One general concern in the operation of any solar cell system is the maximizing of conversion efficiency of the photon energy into electrical energy under the constraint of minimum cost. The driving forces for innovation in an effort to reduce costs in solar cell technology include increasing the efficiency of the solar cells, decreasing material costs, and/or decreasing processing costs. Additionally, efforts have been made to incorporate basic solar panel systems into other materials to provide for a wider range of applications of solar cell technology.
One example of an effort to provide for a wider range of applications of solar cell technology involves the integration of solar panels with flexible materials to provide flexible structures. The resulting flexible structures can be incorporated into protective covers, holders, clothing, and the like. Current flexible solar cells, however, typically have rather low efficiency (less than about 12%) and generally cannot produce the required voltage needed for directly powering most consumer electronic devices but are instead used to charge batteries.